Buckle



March 29, 1938.

W. I. JONES BUCKLE Filed March 31, 1954 Patented Mar. 29, 1938 UNITED STATES BUCKLE Walter 1. Jones, Arlington, Mass, assignor to United-Carr Fastener Corporation, Cambridge,

Mass, a corporation Application March 31,

3 Claims.

My invention aims to provide improvements in buckles and like devices.

In the drawing which illustrates preferred embodiments of my invention:

Figure l is a front view of an oval-shaped leather covered friction buckle;

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the buckle shown in Figure 1 showing the manner of attachment of the crossbar;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a crossbar as it appears prior to attachment;

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a rectangular buckle with a crossbar attached as shown in Fig. 3, the crossbar carrying a belt-engaging tongue;

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of a circular buck1e,

strap and tongue;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged section taken on the line l'! of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a section through a portion of a buckle and includes a portion of a buckle tongue attached in a similar manner to the attachment of the crossbar.

My invention, as illustrated by the annexed drawing, relates particularly to the attachment of belt-engaging members, such for instance as crossbars and tongues, to buckle structures of different shapes. My invention is particularly, though not exclusively, adapted for use in connection with buckles which are covered with leather, cloth and the like and are so constructed that they present a seam at one face which leads into a hollow form piece.

Referring to the particular device shown in Figures 1 through 4 inclusive, there is illustrated a buckle of the so-called friction type having a leather covered buckle part and a separately attached crossbar. The buckle proper includes a metal form piece l (Fig. 3) and a covering 2 of leather, cloth or other suitable material secured together by folding the edges of the covering 2- over the upstanding sides of a previously formed U-shaped form piece I and thereafter bending the side portions toward each other to form inwardly extending flanges 3-3 between which the inwardly turned portions 4-4 of the covering 2 are gripped. The buckle proper may assume any desired shape surrounding a belt-receiving aperture. However, it is preferably endless and hollow. Instead of having the crossbar integral with the form piece, I prefer to provide a separate crossbar 5 having its end portions bent at substantially right angles to the axis of the crossbar with the extreme end portions 6-B bent of Massachusetts 1934, Serial No. 718,365

slightly at an angle or curved slightly, as shown in Fig. 4. By having a separate crossbar it is much simpler and less expensive to make dies for various shaped buckles and furthermore the body proper of the buckle may be completely covered in a simple operation without interference from a crossbar. It is a simple matter to attach my improved crossbar because it is merely necessary to force the bent ends of the crossbar 5 between the inwardly turned portions 44 of the covering material 3 and then apply sufiicient pressure to upset the ends 6-6 when they are pressed against the form member I. Thus the form member I acts as an anvil tocurl the already slightly bent ends so that they will underlie a flange 3 (Fig. 3) and thereby securely hold the crossbar in position.

My improved crossbar may be made from a solid piece of wire stock and have the end por tions thereof flattened and thinned as illustrated, or it may be made in a number of other different ways as will be apparent to any one skilled in the art once my invention is understood.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a buckle which is of the type used in connection with a belt or strap having a series of holes for adjustment purposes and therefore requires a tongue I. In this instance the tongue I is attached to the crossbar 5 and is held in a central position by cars 8 formed from the material of the crossbar 5 at opposite sides of the tongue, as clearly illustrated. The crossbar 5 is secured to the buckle proper in the same manner as described in connection with Figs. 1 through 4.

In Figs. 6 and 7 I have shown another type of tongue buckle which includes the leather covered body portion 9 and a sheet metal tongue Hi, the end H of which is wrapped around the body portion 9 (Fig. '7) in such a manner as to be capable of a hinged movement. The wrapped around end II is concealed by the] strap l2 in the manner illustrated.

In Fig. 8 I have shown a tongue 13 secured to the body proper Id of a buckle by bending one end of the tongue to fit the contour of the buckle proper, while the extreme end portion E5 is forced between the inwardly turned portions of the buckle proper and is upset within the hollow form piece in somewhat the same manner as an end of the crossbar 5. This type of attachment of the tongue is simple and neat while at the same time it may have a hingelike movement relative to the body part of the buckle.

The buckle structures which I have illustrated and described are simple, relatively inexpensive and the parts which cooperate with the strap may be readily and quickly assembled after the covered body portion has been completely formed.

While I have illustrated and described preferred embodiments of my invention, I do not wish to be limited thereby, because the scope of my invention is best defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A buckle including a hollow metal form piece having opposed continuous edges on one face thereof extending around the entire frame and a belt-engaging piece having at least one end extending between said edges and into the hollow form and having a curved end adjacent the inner face of said hollow form to provide the only means holding said belt-engaging piece in assembly with said form piece.

2. A buckle including a hollow metal form piece having opposed continuous edges on one face thereof extending around the entire frame and a bar extending from one side of said form to the other and said bar having its ends extending between said edges into the hollow metal form and having a curved end within the form to prevent said ends from being pulled out of said form.

3. A device of the class described comprising a hollow form piece of desired shape having opposed continuous edges, the edges of said form piece being inturned toward each other and toward the interior of the form piece, a covering of flexible material overlying the form piece and having free edges extending into the interior thereof between the opposed interior edges of the form piece and gripped together solely thereby and a belt-engaging member connected to said form piece by an end extending between the inturned edges of the form and the covering, said end being curved inside said form.

WALTER I. JONES. 

